The reasons behind my motives
by AsTheDarknessFalls
Summary: I'd explain them to you but your brain would explode.


_I hate Valentines Day. It's so pointless. Just a holiday created to make girls happy. _And he, James Potter, was being forced to go to a stupid dance in celebration of it.

"C'mon, James!" Rose was looking at him through slanted eyes. She seemed to be the only girl in the whole school that didn't want to go. It was in that sense that James admired her. She was so unlike her cousin, Lily. James closed his eyes as he remembered her response to the announcement of the dance.

"Ooh, a dance, James! I'll get to wear dress robes and have an excuse to put on fancy makeup and do my hair..." She then proceeded to give James a highly detailed description of what she'd be wearing, the jewelry that would be accompanying it, and, "Which shade of eyeshadow do you think would go with these earrings better? Hmm, the lighter shade would go better, you're right. And I've been wondering if I should curl or straighten my hair for the occasion; I want it to look longer. Oh how I wish I'd brought my extensions from home... you know what, I think that if it was straight it'd appear longer. I originally planned to hold it back with a bandana, but I want to look more mature and that _certainly _won't do. Should I just leave it as it is? Or should I pull it back in a ponytail? It'd look much for sophisticated that way, you're right, James, thanks. You're so good at those kinds of things!"

James had then proceeded to protest in indignation. He had in fact not answered a single one of her questions at all.

"You haven't changed!" Lily said, slightly reproachful. Rose was glaring at Lily in a way that stated _I don't want to have to put up with you; shut up. _

"I was just about to change now if you'd give me time," Rose said in a controlled-calm sort of way. "You can go down with James if you're too impatient to wait for me." James glared at Rose.

"Or we can wait for her to be done and all go down together," he suggested, not keen on having more one on one time with his sister. He'd already proved that it always ended in complete disaster.

Ten minutes later the three of them were descending the grand staircase, Rose wobbling dangerously in her heels and James glaring at his shoes.

"Did anyone even ask you?" Lily asked, bouncing down the stairs in her heels like they were no big feat. Rose winced as she misplaced her step and tripped slightly. She glared at Lily.

"I'd see no real reason to go if someone hadn't." In James' mind, that interpreted to, _Of course no one asked me, I'm just coming because you'd murder me if I didn't. _

"Let's just get down there in one piece, should we?" James grumbled. Rose muttered something that he took to be an agreement.

"Ooh, look how pretty it looks!" Lily gasped as they neared the bottom, in view of the Great Hall. "It's beautiful! Look at it all!" James nodded absentmindedly and Rose made no sign to show that she heard.

Lily peered over the crowds of people. "Who asked you, James?" James sighed.

This was going to be a very long night.

"This is the worst night of my life," Rose spat, hurrying over to the table at which James was seated. He watched her with mild interest.

"What's wrong?"

"That complete _idiot _Ragworth just turned down my offer to dance with him."

"Who? Ryan Ragworth?" Rose nodded bitterly. When she said nothing more, James held out his hand to her. Rose considered it, looking confused.  
>"Care to dance? You've just got turned down and I sure won't be asking anybody." A grin slid on Rose's face.<p>

"Just as friends, right?" she asked. James let out his breath.

"Just as friends."

James led Rose out onto the dance floor as she laced her fingers behind his neck and he placed his hands on her waist. Seeing as a slow song was playing, the two revolved slowly on the spot, silent for a few moments.

"Thanks for making me not look dumb," Rose said, glancing around at the decor. "I'd have felt lame just sitting there without anyone to dance with."

"Hey," James protested. "That's what I've been doing this whole night." Rose raised her eyebrow.

"Your point is?"

"Unfair."

"Mhmm." Rose just considered him with her eyes, large and brown, scrutinizing James' face for a moment before darting away, noticing the ceiling, pitch black.

"Did you find who Lily went with?" Rose asked offhandedly. James shrugged.

"No idea; I haven't seen her at all tonight."

"Should we go... look for her?" Even though James knew Rose couldn't stand her younger cousin, he couldn't skip over the concern flooding her voice.

"She'll be fine," James said dismissively. Now that he was basically just standing here he felt no desire to move, rather less search for his sister.

"You're not worried about her the least bit?"

"Nope." The two danced in silence for a few minutes, Rose continuing to glance around the Great Hall for Lily and James studying his steps, making sure he didn't do something dumb like step on Rose's foot or trip over his own.

"I'm really getting worried, I think that I'll go look for Lily now," Rose decided a moment later, her hands loosening around James' neck. Without warning, James pulled Rose to him, their lips meeting in a sort of awkward way, James completely relaxed and Rose completely nonplussed. The two revolved on the spot for a full minute, Rose basically limp in James' arms in surprise. Then he pulled away, pushing Rose slightly away from him.

"It's been nice dancing with you," he said briskly before turning in the opposite direction and walking away into the crowd leaving Rose looking confused and slightly dazed.

**I just had to write some James/Rose fluff, I absolutely love the idea as the two as a couple even though it does seem a bit awkward, seeing as they're related in a complicated way. I originally had this as a one-shot, but if you guys like it and want more, I can turn it into a multi-chaptered story. Just click the button below and tell me what you think ;)**

**~Darky**


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